Member Reviews

Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 stars.

Everything is Fine follows the life of social media influencer Jessica, who seems to have it all. Jessica has a popular blog, a PR firm that is blowing up, a wonderful daughter, a great best friend, and a gorgeous boyfriend... but she doesn't really have it all.

Overall it's a good book with a main character you can both hate and love at the same time, there are funny and heartwarming bits that the reader will love. At least once a year I read a book with a similar theme: be yourself, social media is making everyone strive toward the impossible, etc... And yes, it's all true. Everyone should be comfortable being themselves, most of what we see on social media is fake, and striving toward that fake identity isn't healthy; but the book didn't really provide me with much more than that. However, Everything is Fine was an enjoyable read that will likely be loved by anyone who enjoys a good rom-com.

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What a voice! I was hooked from the first page! Absolutely a wonderful read. Thank you to the publisher and author. Full review will be posted on GoodReads.

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I always feel a bit strange reviewing books like this online. After all, the overall message is 'don't worry too much about being a fake self online, be a real person offline'. So maybe instead of posting this review, I should just stand next to the bookshelf and recite it?

I enjoyed this read. And unlike a lot of this type of book, I could see the reason that Jessica was so desperate to keep her lie going; it kept her business, which not only kept her afloat but employed two other people, active and engaged. It's a much more relatable reason than is usual in this type of book.

I didn't like the way Jessica treated Anna, though. She was very concerned about Bea and spent time with her ... as she should! Bea's storyline was heartbreaking. But Anna was obviously upset and at several points looked for attention and was brushed off. It's easy for me, of course, on the outside of the story, but even after warnings from other people Jess wasn't paying enough attention to her.

Otherwise, though, I really enjoyed this story, with its quirky cast and situations that manage to balance on the line between 'crazy' and 'brilliant'. One for fans of Sophie Kinsella without a doubt.

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I couldn't finish this one and gave up 26% in. I did not like the characters and although I could see what the author was trying to achieve with Jessica, I just couldn't like her enough to care.

Not for me but I see many positive reviews so think this is just down to personal taste.

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I found this book about Jessica and how social media affected every aspect of her life very funny and very telling and quite moving in places.
Jessica has her own Instagram account and seems to be living a perfect life but in reality her boyfriend has split up with her and her healthy lifestyle has gone out the window. To her avid followers nothing is amiss as she struggles to keep everything together to maintain her perfect facade. It’s very funny in places as she goes from one disaster to another with some really cringe worthy, embarrassing moments. I really felt for her, as she comes across as so lovely and a bit ditzy.
I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more from this author.

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I really enjoyed this book.
It is a modern day story of social media and how it can change your life for good or bad.
A very funny story that makes you want to jump in a puddle.

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Jessica runs her own PR firm and has been caught up in blogging her life. Her instagram posts started off as true but in time have become fictional as she tries to keep up with the idea of a perfect life so she doesn't lose followers. She gets caught up in the fantasy life and neglects both her daughter and her best friend, in her quest to be popular. She has a relationship with Dave, which is also fake as they both are trying to keep up appearances.

This was an easy read but didn't quite gel with me. I got annoyed with Jessica and didn't like the way she didn't give time to her daughter and friend. I'd like to think that a mother and friend would not react that way just for a bit of fame.

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I really enjoyed this book.
It is certainly relatable to the modern world we live in, with everyone plugged in to social media and at times being controlled by it without even realising.
I thought the book was well written, lighthearted with great humour throughout.
I liked Jessica, the main character, and I’m hoping we get to meet her again - I can see that this could easily have the potential for sequels in the style of the “Shopaholic” series by Sophie Kinsella.
Overall a very enjoyable book which I rated 4⭐️ and would certainly recommend.

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Everything is Fine by Gillian Harvey
(3/5)
This novel follows the life of influencer, Jessica Bradley. She shows one front on social media, but her life is truly a mess. It follows her and her up and coming PR firm and blog. While I thought this was a mindless and fun book, there were some portions where I was really annoyed with the main character and her choices. It does a good job of diving into relationships with family, children, and lovers. It is a cute book to escape into; however, I don’t think this one will stick with me for any amount of time.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for this e-book.

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Review of Everything is fine by Gillian Harvey

Thank you for the opportunity to read this fun and lighthearted read I read it in one go yesterday while sat in the sunshine and was a perfect distraction from thinking about other things.

The title in itself really makes you think as how often do people ask how you are and you reply with everything is fine when really in reality it actually isn’t. The story is well written and highlights the issues faced in the social media age that we are now living in and how much pressure it puts on people to be perfect and to be leading the perfect life.

This was a fun and lighthearted read whilst at the same time delivering an important message of how important it is for us to be ourselves and who we want to be not who someone else wants us to be or wants us to look like. My mantra has always been I am me and if you can’t take me as you find me then I am not going to change to be something else ever since an ex partner tried to make me be someone I wasn’t and I found aspects of the relationship Jess had with Dave somewhat relatable to this but won’t go into as don’t want to give any spoilers away.

This was a brilliant first debut Novel and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me. Would be great if there was a sequel showing how Jess is doing once she is able to be the person she wants to be and lead the life she wants to lead.

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"Careful what you wish for! Fame and fortune come at a price!"

This story is so current! It centre's around Jessica, a blogger and Instagram influencer. She is trying to become the perfect person online but is anything from perfect. She's actually quite normal but her efforts to maintain this world she lives in are hilarious!

I've loved this book from page one and I didn't want it to end! Be prepared to want to jump in puddles!

It's an hilarious, uplifting, brilliant book. My first read by this author but it won't be my last

# hilarious # brilliant # winningatwriting

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Loved this book! It is the reminder that we all need sometimes that the perfect life we see online isn’t always the life that person is leading. It’s a reminder to be true to you and quit playing the look at me game.

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I really enjoyed this easy, laugh out loud read. The book follows the story of Jessica, who I really didn’t like at first as she came across shallow, self-centred and image focused. It is very much a real life scenario book and how people depend on the ‘likes’ and followers on social media for self appreciation and other people’s expectations. Jessica’s character grows and realises what really is important and what makes her happy. I look forward to reading other books by this author. This is an unbiased review in return for a copy of this book from NetGalley.

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I have enjoyed this light, easy read. I have particularly enjoyed the jaw dropping moments that either made me laugh out loud or gasp in horror and disgust at Dave. This has been a difficult one for me as I didn't really like Jessica. It seemed to me that early on she knew that everything was NOT fine, but chose to do nothing about it in order to keep her online following.
I was glad that she made the right choice in the end, but the ending seemed a little abrupt so fell a little flat for me.

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While not a book that will win any awards, Everything is Fine is a easy read that was needed between some of my usual heavy thrillers. While I did like the main character Jessica, her life felt a bit slapstick at times and I did find myself getting frustrated with her, wanting to shake her to wake up and stop with all the ridiculous white lies. For obvious reasons, I disliked Dave from the outset but to be honest, he didn't feel realistic to me. I simply couldn't imagine anyone (however gym obsessed they were), acting the way he did in the plot. Overall there were some strong themes in the story and I enjoyed all the modern references, especially as someone who is all to aware of the perils of social media.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

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Everything is Fine was an absolute joy to read! It gave me those happy feelings that I got when I first read Bridget Jones's Diary, with its brilliant voice, humour and characterisation. It’s definitely given me a taste for more adult comedy novels.

It feels like you're plunged into a real life, with social media and Jessica's struggles coming across as very relatable. Jessica is a great main character! She gets herself tangled up in all sorts of outlandish situations and I couldn't stop reading until I saw how it all worked out.

The voice also adds to the feeling of realism. Jessica comes across as a real person spilling all of her feelings and experiences. The dialogue is witty and believable, and there is an interesting cast of characters.

I'd definitely recommend Everything is Fine as a fun, feel-good read that gives perfect escapism for these uncertain times.

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Really good read. Would recommend to friends and family. I could sympathise with characters (important for any fiction novel!) and looked forward to picking it up and reading the next few chapters! Interesting plot line and a good ending. Will look out for more novels by the author. Thank you.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Orion for providing me with this ARC.

Everything is Fine is quirky comedy about what happens when your perfect life on social media doesn't quite match up to the real thing. Jessica is struggling to juggle her work running a PR company, being a mum to her teenage daughter, and keeping up appearances on her fitness and lifestyle blog. When her gym-obsessed boyfriend decides she's 'let herself go' and suddenly breaks up with her, a few little white lies pile up - and before Jessica knows it, her life is wildly off-course.

Jessica is a flawed but likeable character who is forced to confront what her priorities in life are - something I think a lot of us can relate to in our hectic modern lives. She's flawed and makes mistakes, lurching from one embarrassing situation to the next, and although the storyline verges on the slightly ridiculous at times, it's all lighthearted enough to keep you entertained and reading along.

Everything is Fine is a fun bit of escapism - something we all need right now!

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Everything Is Fine’ is the debut novel by Gillian Harvey.

Jessica Bradley has it all: the perfect boyfriend; influential healthy-eating blog; successful PR company and wonderful daughter, Anna. Or at least that is what her thousands of followers believe. The truth is, her boyfriend just broke up with her in four words on a post-it; her zest for healthy-eating has all but disappeared; her PR success is all reliant on her now not-so-honest online-life and she just got caught eating her daughter’s Coco-Pops. So as they say: fake it ’til you make it. A few little white lies and phoney smiling selfies and Jess can keep up appearances. But when her real-life starts to spiral out of control how can Jess tell the truth from the lies? And will she be able to seize real happiness when it is right in front of her?

‘Everything Is Fine’ is a honest and funny story about the pressures of social media and society that we put on ourselves and how easy it is to take the smallest of things for granted.

Seen solely from the perspective of PR guru, influencer and single mum Jessica, when her gym obsessed boyfriend breaks up with her apparently letting herself go, she uses the magic of social media to convince her followers that her life is going perfectly and heartbreak isn’t on her mind. To occupy herself, she brings on some new unique and well known clients as well as creates a fake engagement with some help from the ex.

This was an extremely fun and enjoyable story to curl up with. With relatable characters having to deal with the pressures of the perfect life through lies and filters. Jessica was a great lead and one I found myself relating with a lot, the pressure of social media, family, the ticking biological clock, it was all combined in this story, but was all delivered with wit and warmth, and sensitivity when dealing with the hardships of fertility.

With snappy narrative, fun characters and disastrous situations, ‘Everything Is Fine’ was a laugh out loud story that was a joy from start to finish and a book that every reader will identify and relate too.

You can pre-order ‘Everything Is Fine’ from Amazon and will be available to buy from good bookshops from 28th May 2020.

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Such a great, fun read. This is very ‘now’ for a subject of influencers and the focus on their attention, but this was really funny. It’s well written and Jessica is such a lovely character you are drawn in by her and the story. It’s an addictive and fast paced read and was sad it ended when I did, but I’m hoping there’s more to come. I’ll definitely be reading future books.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

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